Hunters and Healers
by ImortalFalcon
Summary: Being a medic and hunter isn't easy, but when the city of Alsburg is struck by a mysterious illness Riku will have to forsake his hunter ways to quell this deadly virus... if he only had the money... T for language and violence


Old Friends

It was a crisp, damp morning in the city of Alsburg, dew drops slowly trickled off the cannon, the smell of a resent storm hung in the air. The ever present hustle and bustle of the great city atop the mountain slowly made it's way to the streets. A pair of guildsmen walked steadily across the town plaza, there red uniforms still damp at the shoulders from guard duty under an awning. A fruit merchant began stacking his bounty from the forest in neat pyramids so as no meandering fool wound pass up a glance at the succulent treat. The tavern was nearly abandoned if it wasn't for the two clerks and a man with armor covered with white flesh from a cave wyvern sleeping in a drunken state.

"Hunter... I have to ask you to leave" One of the clerks said approaching the man.

"...huh..?...wha-"

"You've managed to fall asleep in the tavern and I would have to ask you to get some sleep elsware, be for all of Minegarde wants a drink."

The man got up and slowly but surly made his way to the door clenching his head.

"uhhhrg...man what a night...I knew thoughs girls where too much...!CRAP! It's almost noon!"

The man began running toward the inn and up the flight of stairs. He then blazed through the door and up to the second floor. A felyne quickly trailed behind him to make sure the master of the king room was being cared for.

"Raa, master? Are you alright? You where in an awful hurry."

"Yeah im fine, and please call me Riku."

The cat nodded and assumed in helping Riku gather his things. Potions, seeds, herbs, everything went into a warn rucksack, even some precious looking ores got caught up in the crossfire.

"Raaghw, may I ask why you are in such a hurry?"

"Sure you can. I have a good friend on his way here and should arrive, if I'm lucky, in the next few seconds."

The words made the felyne even more hurriedly in his work of collecting Riku's belongings. The two got everything in the sack and Riku walked out into the plaza. By now the streets where clogged with shoppers and browsers, Riku knew the market district was going to be in even more of a mess and quickened his pace. Sure enough the market was damned with people, damned worse was the noise, shouts and hollers came from every which way so much so if a wild Kut-Ku where to fly in the middle of it the wyvern would surly die of the sheer overload to the senses. A giant red wyvern was being loaded into a giant net, ropes as thick as the waist suspended this massive behemoth in the air, this ritual signaled a fresh killing. A group of hunters stood near the wench operator, probably being the group that slew the mighty beast. The group looked toward Riku and acknowledged his presence with a quick raising of the hand, the hunter's hello, out of respect for the hunter Riku did the same and pressed forward. Then he spotted a familiar face in the crowd, with a smirk on his face he jogged toward the man.

"Hey, well if it isn't Kyle Landon." Riku said with a jokingly _who gives a damn_ tone.

"Oh, and who's this meir peasant? It can only be Riku Vega."

The two stood still for a moment then walked toward each other and with a firm shake of the wrist they began laughing. Even a blind man could tell the two where best friends, there friendship only rivaled by that of true brothers.

"So Riku, you slept with anymore ladies sense I was away?"

"Ha! I gave that up my friend!"

"Is that so? By the look of it an aptonoth could tell that you're a lie!"

The two laughed and then headed toward the market exit.

"Is that Rathalos your doing?"

"Hm? Oh no, I've been too busy lately to hunt. I'm trying to open a clinic here in Alsburg, but as you can tell im not running one, if I where, I couldn't of came here to meet you. Their have been some children perishing of illness this passed month...I just need more money and I can put a stop to it..."

Kyle looked at Riku with concern

"You mean the guild hasn't done a thing about this?!"

"No, they have tried to quell this outbreak but it's just not enough...some of the guild knights themselves are being poisoned by this illness, but they all recovered...I believe this is only serious to the youth as of now... I mustn't let it become more than what it is now."


End file.
